Steering-wheel brake



. W. TODDY STEERING BRAKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 23, 1926 R. W. TODD STEERING WHEL BRAKE Jan. Z9, 1929. 1,700,575

Filed Jan. 23, 1926 2 sheets-sheer 2 fig; f5.l 4

Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

yRUSSELL w. Tenn-F BRQNXVILLE., New YORK.

`srnrns'rive WHEELk BRAKE..

Application led January The invention relates to brakes for auto-' mobiles and has for its object the provision.

`. of a simplied and improved brake, particularly applicable toV the front or steering wheels. ,The invention accordingly consists in the arrangement and combinations'of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

4In the drawings, .n

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through one of the steering wheels of au automobile showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 isa sectional lview ont-he line Il-H of Fig. 3 through the wheel hub and brake drum. Y v Y v V F ig. 3 is a. vertical section on the line III- III of Fig.v 2. l

. Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the inner sideof the brake drum and steering knuckle. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view Von the line V-V of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of thelower portion of the brake drum showing `the common operating means for both brake shoes.

'Fig'. l7 'is a view looking in the direction of Y l Athe arrows and along theu line VII-VII of Fig.` 8 is a detail view on the line VH1- VHI of Fig.4 6 Vshowing the spring return for the cam' shaf f f The invention is herein shown as applied to an automobile wheel of the disc type, theY particular advantagevresulting from this arrangement being that the complete brake unit, including ythe drum, shoes and operating mechanism can be readily and inexpensively mounted in the'central plane of the wheel, it ybeing understood, however,that the invention is not limited to this particular type of wheel but may be applied equallywell to wheels of other types.

As shown, .the disc 1 is suitablyy secured as by nuts and bolts to the periphery of-a Abrake drum 2, the hub of which is bored to fit the outer cone ofthe wheel arbor 3. This arbor cooperates with a roller bearing hub ofV the conventional type, the whole being enclosed and supported by al casing 1, which is pivotally connected to the front axle as follows: Integral with the hub casing 4, there is provided a `vertical, cylindrical extension 5 constituting the steering knuckle proper. Within the knuckleand spaced therefrom by bearing sleeves 6 and 7 is the pivot post 8. This post is rigid on the front axle and its 23, 1926. serial-No. 53,225.

upper end is threaded to receive a clamping i nut for the upperrace of the main knuckle bearing 10. vFfnclosing.this bearing andatt-he upper end of the pivot postis a cap 11 internally threaded at its lower end and theref' by secured to the upper end ofthe sleeve 6. The post 8` is an integral part of theknuckle yoke which yoke comprises thel pivot post8, a supporting arm 13 and a sleevellll by means of which the yoke is secured to' the axle l15.

As shown, the axle 15 is'tubular and encloses a shaft 16 on the outer end of which is a brake shoe expander camy 17, a bushing 18 being provided adjacent the outer" end of the axle to support thebrakev shaft-16 to-y gether with4 a coil spring 19` shown in detail in I1`ig..8.),v which assists in'returning the brake shaft to its inoperative position. f

Referringnow specifically tov the brake shoe operating means,'it willrbe' seen that the shoes l2themselves arepivotedto a lateral extension of the knuckle orhub casingll thus n operating in a vertical instead of horizontal f .l

direction andV that the upper shoe is provided with. a downwardly extending lug 20,-' the lower end of which is provided witha hard` ened bearingdisc 21 against whichA abutsnthe upper end of a thrust member 22. p The thrust member 22fis a rod sliding withinv the `pivot p .ost 8 and at its lower end engages' aj cam follower 23 which bearsagainst the top of the cam 17, Contact between the' two being maintained bythe usual collapsingfspring24 connecting the free'endsof the brake shoes.

TheA camv follower 23 telescopes into a cup 25 and the latter telescopes into the recess or chamber in the bottomof post 8. The cam 17 is interposed between; the follower andthe bottom of the cup so that whenthecam is rotated the cup and follower arelseparated or extended. TheY lower end of the cup thrusts against a hardened bearing' vdise 26 carried by the lower brake shoe,4 j The cup` secured against rotation'relatively/tothe post 8, as by means of the riveted key 25*y and the slot, which construction however permits of relative longitudinall movement between lthe cup and post. v Y v As was mentioned above in connection with thefupper brake shoe, the bearing disc 26 and the cup 25 are reta-ined in engagement with the cam 17 by the spring24l, The cup 25ris provided with a lateral neck opening 27 shaped t0 form a suitable connection for a boot 28 extending to the end of the aXlefor excluding dust and dirt atthis point. .As a

' drum a cover plate 29 is removablyv litted to the structure 12 so as to enclose the interiorv ofthe brake drum. It will be noted that the lower brake shoe flange is offset adjacent the cup to provide clearance from the latter', as shown at 12a in Figs. l and 5. By this means the strength of the shoe is not impaired. n l y y Y From the foregoing it will be apparent that the wheel is free to rotate on its bear'- ings within the hub casing 4 and when subjected to the action of the 4drag-link through the steering larm BO that it is free to turn about the pivot post 8. Furthermore the rotation of the cam shaft l'will result in a simultaneous operation or separation of both brakeY shoes, the lower directly through the bottomof the cup 25 and the upper through the intermediary of the thrust rod 22. It will be understood however that the particular illustrated embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated can be varied considerably wit-hout departing from the scope ofthe following claims. n, l claime-r p Y f 1 ln combination with a wheel, ay brake i drum` secured to the wheel and mounted substantially in the central plane thereof, a pair of brake'shoes, a steering knuckle for the wheel, a pivot Apost Awithin the knuckle and offset in relation to the wheel axis and a brake shoe operating member within the pivot post. I

2. Automobile steering and brakingl mechanism comprising in combination with a steering wheel, a brake drum substantially within the plane of the, wheel rim, brake yshoes respectively inupper and lower .post

tions within the drum, a steering knuckle and pivot post within the drum, a tubular load supporting axle and eccentric means in line with the pivot post and in line with said axle for expanding the brake shoes.

3. Automobile steering and braking mechanism comprising `in combination with a steering f'wheel, a Vbrake drum substantially within the plane of the wheel rim, a pivot post and steering knuckle within theV drum, brake shoes pivoted on ahorizontalextension of the'steering knuckle and adapted to operatev in a vertical direction within the drum and means located in the lower part` member within the post, a steering knuckle Y,

journalled onsaid post, a wheel hub casing rigidly secured to the knuckle and la wheel' carrying hub ournalled in 'said casino".`

5. A. steering wheel brake assembly including in combination with a load support-ing axle, a tubular pivot post rigidly supported thereby, a steering knuckle journalled on said post intermediate its length anda brake operating thrust member enclosed by the pivot post. j

6. In combination with a wheel, a brake drum secured to the wheel and mounted substantially in the central plane thereof, a hub extending inwardly of the wheel face and substantially within the confines Aof the brake drum, brake shoes, a pivot postr and brake shoe operating member extending across the drum and arranged concentrically with respect to each other and a steering knuckle mounted on said post.

7. ln combination with a wheel, a brake drum, a pair of brake shoes therein', a rod member and a cup member telescoping'o-ne within the other and eachL engaging one of said shoes, a brake shaft and a cam thereon mounted within the cup and engaging both cup and rod for distending the same.

8. ln combination withv a wheel, a brakev `drum secured thereto, a pair of brake shoes, an expanding shoe-operating member extending across the drum, offset inrelation to the wheel axis, and a wheel hub extending inwardly of the drum and pivoted for steering movement about the axis of said member. 9. ln asteering wheel braking mechanism the combination of a wheel and hub, a brake drum mounted outside ofand 'substantially enclosing the wheel hub, a pair of brake shoes, a steering knuckle located Within the drum and having its axis offset in relation to the hub, and shoe operating means mounted within the drum and in line with `the knuckle axis. y

.ln testimony whereof, l have signed this specification. 

